🌟 Mayor Lana Negrete — Santa Monica — November 4, 2025

Hi Neighbors,

Blue. Wave. Achieved. 💙⚾️

Watching the Dodgers clinch back-to-back titles and seeing our own Third Street Promenade come alive for the pep rally and watch party reminded me why celebrating community beats cynicism every time.

This week we also put real muscle behind our Realignment Plan (visible, on-the-ground changes—finally), and we passed a transparency motion so people aren’t surprised by major projects.

Here’s what moved, why it matters, and how to plug in.

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🚓 Public Safety & Clean Streets

🔹 Downtown Police Substation: construction underway at Santa Monica Place
 You’ll see work happening now. This substation will be home base for our expanded Downtown Services Unit—more officers and Public Safety Officers, faster response, and a steady presence in the heart of the district. It’s a practical step from the Realignment Plan to make the Promenade and surrounding blocks feel reliably safe and welcoming again.
👉 Read local coverage of the new substation

 👉 Read the city's Realignment Plan

🔹 Tree-trimming & clean-up blitz
 Public Landscape crews are out along key corridors and in Downtown. Cleaner sightlines + well-kept streets = fewer hotspots and a better pedestrian experience. If you spot something that needs attention, let’s get it in the queue.
👉 Report an issue via Santa Monica 311

🔹 By the numbers (Oct 19–26)

SMPD handled 2,484 calls for service (71 arrests; ~25% homelessness-related), addressed 16 encampments, and completed 7 5150 mental-health hospitalizations with DMH partners. SMFD ran 326 incidents (63% EMS). Why it matters: we’re pairing visible enforcement with compassionate care so issues don’t boomerang back onto our streets.

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🧭 Transparency & Good Government

🔹 Item 16F passed: more sunlight on inter-agency housing/supportive projects
 Council unanimously directed staff to set clearer coordination/notice before major supportive or transitional housing projects advance—so neighbors hear early and in plain English. That’s not anti-services; it’s pro-trust.
👉 See news recap of the vote 

🔹 Behavioral-health facility: County exploring alternate SPA-5 locations
 After the Ocean Ave pause, LA County is assessing other sites within SPA 5 (Santa Monica, Malibu, Venice, West LA, etc.). My continued stance: treatment saves lives, and siting must be transparent with early neighborhood engagement and clear safety/operations plans. I also believe that the entire county must share the load, not just compassionate places like Santa Monica or Venice. Further, oceanfront property is not the wisest use of taxpayer money for behavioral health facilities. I’ll share details as they become public.

NOMA is planning a meeting to follow up with site selection and a better understanding of these programs but is awaiting the county to confirm attendance.

Here’s the update we got from our city manager on this:

• They are hoping to find another location in Santa Monica for the facility, in large part because she and her office are working with Leo Pustilnikov.

 

• Supervisor Horvath’s Office shared that in their discussions with Mr. Pustilnikov, he indicated that he has property located in Santa Monica on 20th Street and / or 21st Street that they would like for us to consider in moving the project forward.* these are off Santa Monica blvd and near Providence hospital

• When asked, Supervisor Horvath’s Office also shared that the relocated facility doesn’t have to go in Santa Monica, but instead, would have to be located somewhere in Spa 5 (which includes Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Culver City, Ladera, Malibu, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Playa del Rey, Santa Monica, Venice, West LA, Westchester, and Westwood).

 

• Supervisor Horvath’s Office further shared that while they are calling on the City and St. Joseph Center to be part of a process to identify another location for the project, the overall initiative remains an LA County led project.

🔹 Euclid St. affordable housing (1217 Euclid) gets tax-credit green light
 Hollywood Community Housing Corp secured LIHTC reservations to build family apartments (~30–60% AMI). Outreach will precede lot closure; BMH resources will be publicized. This advances our Housing Element and puts underused land to work for working families.

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💼 Local Economy & Downtown Vibe

🔹 Dodgers pep rally + watch parties = packed Promenade
 From Pali High cheerleaders to Dodger legends Garvey, Karros, and Adrián González, the energy downtown was electric—and exactly what our Entertainment Zone was designed to spark. If you came out: thank you for supporting local. If you’re heading back this week, make it a “shop + snack + stroll” loop.
 👉 Find a downtown spot to visit 

🔹 Street art = pride + foot traffic
 USA Today readers ranked Santa Monica a top street-art city, and partners like Beautify Earth helped deliver 170+ murals that turn blank walls into places people want to hang out, take pics, and enjoy a sunny day in Santa Monica. If you’re hosting visitors, send them mural-hunting (and grab a coffee nearby).
👉 Explore Santa Monica’s mural guide 

🔹 New Biz this week (welcome to SaMo!)

 As a small-business owner, nothing makes me happier than lights turning on in empty storefronts. Four fresh doors to walk through: a high-energy fitness studio, an immersive art-meets-optics spot, a feel-good retail pop-up, and a pet groomer for your fuzzy VIPs. Why I love it: more reasons to come downtown (and around town), more jobs, safer blocks from steady foot traffic, and tax dollars that fund services. Try one, leave a review, bring a friend—your receipts are a vote for the Santa Monica you want.

👉 Check out Strong Pilates — Santa Monica

👉 Explore Museum of Illusions — Santa Monica

👉 Pop into SoCal Vibes (119 Broadway)

👉 Book a groom at WTFluff (720 Santa Monica Blvd)

🔹 Digital Display District heads to Council (Nov 18)

Following Planning Commission review, a Promenade/Santa Monica Place digital-display framework and initial Development Agreements will come to Council. I’ll keep pushing for design standards, appropriate brightness/motion limits, and a fair return to the public realm.  I’m all for innovative ways that simultaneously revitalize our public spaces while bringing in more city revenue. This is a good thing.

👉 Meetings & agendas

🔹 Behind the scenes: retail confidence check 

I sat down with our City Manager and Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson to talk Santa Monica’s turnaround. The three of us had a productive chat. As a former retailer, I spoke their language: consistent safety, real foot traffic, predictable City process. This message landed: if we keep executing the Realignment Plan, reinvestment follows.

👉 Connect with the City’s Business Concierge

👉 See City leasing opportunities

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🚦 Getting Around

 🔹 “Better Blue Bus Stop” shelters rolling out
 Ten upgraded shelters (lighting, seating, shade, weather protection) are being installed at high-ridership spots like Wilshire & 23rd, 17th/SMC Station, 4th & Pico, and more—improving safety and comfort for daily riders.

🔹 $1.5M Metro grant: MANGo Bergamot Connector
 Design/construction will add protected lanes, safer crossings, wayfinding, and ADA ramps to complete the Michigan Ave Neighborhood Greenway connection to Bergamot Station. This is first/last-mile done right.
👉 Project details

🔹 BBB electrification infrastructure
 With ~$80M secured to modernize the bus yard, a construction contract for charging/maintenance upgrades is slated for Council Nov 18. The goal: a fully electric fleet by 2030.
👉 Meetings & agendas

🔹 PCH lane closures continue (storm damage repairs)
 Caltrans has extended closures through Nov 9 in the coastal canyon stretch—expect delays and plan alternates.

🔹 Transit tip: Big Blue Bus trip-planner + real-time
 If you’re heading downtown or to campus, BBB’s trip-planner and Transit app make it easy to leave the car.
👉 Plan a route on Big Blue Bus 

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🎓 Education & Community

🔹 SMC Veterans Awareness Week (Nov 4–7)
 Panels, resources, and community moments honoring our veterans. Bring a student and let’s say thank you together.
👉 See Veterans Awareness Week details

🔹 Winter Recreation & Camps — resident sign-ups Nov 5 @ 6am
 Youth classes (sports, arts, STEM) + adult offerings; winter-break camps run Dec 22 & 29 weeks.
👉 Browse RecScape & register

🔹 Food for SMMUSD families 💙 — Free dinner meal bags (Nov 3–7)

To bridge a possible SNAP funding lapse, SMMUSD will distribute free dinner meal bags Mon–Fri, Nov 3–7, 4–5 p.m. at the Samohi parking lot. Drive-through entry at the Olympic Blvd gate (6th & Olympic); no need to park or exit your car. One bag per child, per day; while supplies last. Open to all SMMUSD families—no questions asked. Note: Tue, Nov 4 all SMMUSD elementary schools are closed; community food resources are available that day, and dinner bags still go out 4–5 p.m. at Samohi.

👉 Questions? Contact SMMUSD Student Services

👉 Find community food help (Westside Food Bank & partners)

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🎉 Dates & Community Events

🔹 Ice at Santa Monica — Grand Opening Fri, Nov 7 (6–10pm)
 The 17th season returns to 1324 5th St. Free admission for the grand opening (first-come), live performances, giveaways, and a surprise “snow” moment.
👉 Hours, tickets, and season schedule

🔹 Run Travis Run — Sun, Nov 9 (Downtown Santa Monica)
 Blink-182’s Travis Barker brings a 5K/10K + Finish Festival to Arizona Ave & the 1300 block of the Promenade. Expect music, fitness activations, food vendors, and street closures that morning.
👉 Event info & registration

🔹 Veterans Day Ceremony — Tues, Nov 11
 Join the community to honor those who served.
👉 Veterans Day event info

🔹 Next City Council meeting — Tues, Nov 18 (5:30pm)
 Hybrid meeting; agenda posts in advance.
👉 Meetings & agendas

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📱 Stay Connected

Got an issue to report? Want to make sure the City hears you?
👉 Report an issue (Santa Monica 311) 

Follow along for behind-the-scenes updates, quick hits from Council, and community highlights:
👉 Follow me on Instagram

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🌟 Closing Thought

Public service is human work—people first, always. 

Some weeks it’s spreadsheets and statutes; other weeks it’s pep rallies, late-night testimony, and neighbors hugging on the Promenade. I’ll keep showing up with transparency, civility, and action—and I’ll keep inviting you in.

When government listens, learns, and loops back, trust grows. That’s the job. Let’s keep doing it together. The more we do that, the more we all win.